The Small 7
Singular Species
Every jungle has its “big boys.” These are the creatures that anchor the entire ecosystem. While other countries may have one or two keystone species, India has several.
Most of them are native to our jungles, and several are endemic and critically endangered.
At Encounters Asia we’ve made it our passion to observe these species over generations. When you safari with us across the different jungles of India, it’s an awe-inspiring experience, as you get close to these magnificent creatures in their native habitat.
The Small 7 Species of India
Red Panda
In Sikkim, Darjeeling, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, the bamboo grows thick and the forest canopy is dense.
Go BackRed Panda
Wolf
A swift runner, it chases down its prey with ease. Its strong jaws and immense endurance make it an apex predator. It is distributed in many parts of the country and there are two primary sub-species...
Wolf
The Striped Hyena
The Striped Hyaena is native to India, and related to its spotted African cousin. Demonised by a series of bizarre superstitions, particularly in Rajasthan, the reality is that it’s a highly evolved and extremely intelligent creature, which is little studied and thoroughly misunderstood.
The Striped Hyena
The Jungle Cat
As dusk falls over the jungle, you might spot a cat with glowing yellow eyes streak across your line of sight. This is the Jungle Cat, a medium sized feline that inhabits several forests in India.
The Jungle Cat
Lion Tailed Macaque
As you wander through the dense forests in the Western Ghats, you may be taken aback by a leaping primate that bounds through the tree-tops at alarming speed.
Lion Tailed Macaque
The Blackbuck
In recent years, it’s also become a mascot for wildlife conservation in western India, particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat, which have their own sub-species called Antilope cervicapra rajputanae. Swift and agile, it’s native to India and Nepal. One usually finds it in grassy and thinly forested areas, near water.
The Blackbuck
The Wild Ass
Unlike the African continent, India has no zebras. But the closest we come to it is the Wild Ass, an equine creature, that inhabits a few far-flung pockets of the country.